Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst isn't the strangest onscreen matchup of all time, but it has to be in the top 10.
For the most part, the matchup works in "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People." They share an onscreen chemistry that isn't the norm in modern cinema but has more in common with the great romantic comedies of the '50s and '60s. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" comes to mind, though in this case, the mafia connections are replaced by paparazzi. And Audrey Hepburn's timeless grace is replaced by a drunk Dunst being carried up a stairwell while yelling to the world that she is a whore.
The film relies heavily on trashy humor, such as two small children watching a transvestite strip dance, a statue crushing a small dog and a heck of a lot of Pegg's character cheerfully making a grotesque ass out of himself.
But the movie is at its most charming when it charts out the path the two characters take. They start out loathing each other, and the movie ends with them sharing a kiss. The nice thing is that the path is not contrived and is completely believable. A lot of actresses could learn a thing or two about bringing honesty to their roles from Dunst.
Alongside the romantic comedy is a deeper plot. Pegg, who plays a writer struggling to fit in at a high-profile magazine, takes the viewer on a guided tour of the do's and don'ts of journalistic integrity. He sells out in the course of the film, at the moment at which he could be described as having descended into the depths of despair. Through the scenes of Pegg's awkward encounters and social blunders, he does the right thing at the film's end and as a result wins the girl. There is something to be said for integrity, and it's a rare moment in modern cinema to see a film that actually treats it as a virtue.
"How to Lose Friends & Alienate People" is one of those rare moments in film where a movie attempts to be a lot of different things and succeeds at all of them. Romantic comedy? Check - and one of the best in the last five years, no less. Morality tale? Check - and it doesn't come off as heavy-handed. Add in a bit of British humor from Pegg, like the particularly amusing scene where he drunkenly sings England's praises during the Fourth of July. And then add a bit of small-town girl charm from Dunst, and it makes for a worthwhile way to spend an evening.
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"How to Lose Friends & Alienate People"
Grade: A-
